One Claude Code Tip a Day: Use @folder for Bounded Exploration
A field-guide habit for Claude Code: use @folder when a task lives in a feature area, then force Claude to map entry points, tests, and boundaries before editing.
This post is part of the “One Claude Code Tip a Day” series — a daily guide to using Claude Code more effectively.
The fastest way to waste a Claude Code session is to give it the whole repository when the bug is really trapped inside one feature area. Claude will still sound confident. It may inspect a few familiar files, infer the rest, and produce a patch that touches routing, state, CSS, and tests in one sweep. The diff looks productive, but you no longer know whether the model solved the bug or merely toured the codebase.
Today's tip is to use `@folder` as a boundary-setting tool. Do not treat it as “more context.” Treat it as a fence. You are telling Claude Code: this is the slice where the answer should probably live; map it carefully before you ask to cross the fence.
Start With a Real Failure
Imagine a team dashboard where the “Invite member” modal closes without sending an invitation. The UI is in `apps/web/src/features/team-members/`. The API client is nearby. There are component tests in the same feature folder, but the global app shell, billing screens, and account settings all share some modal utilities.
A weak prompt is: